‘THE CHRISTMAS HEART’
CAST BIOS
TERI POLO (Ann Norman) – Teri Polo is best known for her role as Robert De Niro’s daughter, Pam Byrnes, in the “Meet the Parents” feature films. She recently starred in “The Little Fockers,” the third installment of the movie franchise and completed production on the feature “Beyond” opposite Jon Voight. Polo has also recently filmed the Lifetime movie “We Have Your Husband” and had a recent recurring role on “Law & Order: Los Angeles.” She played the character of Casey Winters, wife of Detective Rex Winters, played by Skeet Ulrich. Last year, Polo starred in the ABC series “Man Up.”
Polo’s other recent credits include the feature film “The Hole,” directed by Joe Dante, and the NBC miniseries “The Storm,” both released in 2010. Polo’s other film credits include “Beyond Borders” co-starring Angelina Jolie, the suspense thriller “The Unsaid” opposite Andy Garcia and “Domestic Disturbance” opposite John Travolta and Vince Vaughn. She co-starred opposite De Niro and Stiller in “Meet the Parents,” for which she won a People’s Choice Award, and its sequel “Meet the Fockers.”
Originally from Dover, Delaware, Polo began her performing career as a dancer. By age 13, she was attending New York’s School of Ballet. The summer before her senior year, she was signed to a modeling contract, which led to a role as Kristin on the daytime drama “Loving.” Polo made her primetime debut in the dramatic series “TV 101.” Television audiences may remember her as Michelle Capra, the doctor’s wife who was determined to master the strange surroundings (and even stranger characters) in “Northern Exposure.” She also starred in the comedy series “I’m with Her” as well as David E. Kelley’s “The Wedding Bells.” Other television credits include the original film “Second String” opposite Jon Voight and the Hallmark Channel Original Movie’s “Straight from the Heart,” “Love Is a Four-Letter Word” and “A Taste of Romance.” She was nominated for an Emmy® Award for her role opposite Jimmy Smits on “The West Wing.”
Polo currently lives in Manhattan Beach, California with her family.
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PAUL ESSIEMBRE (Mike Norman) – Paul Essiembre hails from Canada’s east coast province of New Brunswick, in the small village of Grande-Digue. Eventually Essiembre relocated to Montreal where he would complete a three-year intensive acting program at Dawson College's Dome Theatre and then on to Toronto, Ontario where he has made a successful and varied career in film, television and on stage. He has performed at all the major theatres across Canada, playing a wide range of characters from Romeo to Iago to Picasso, including four seasons at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. In recent years he has worked intimately with Toronto's Studio 180 Theatre in their critically acclaimed and hugely successful productions of Stuff Happens, The Overwhelming and The Normal Heart. (more)
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Essiembre has also worked extensively in episodic television, with notable appearances in “Suits,” “Flashpoint,” “Veritas,” Peter Benchley’s “Amazon,” “Nikita,” “Covert Affairs,” “Degrassi: TNG,” “Queer As Folk” and “Republic of Doyle.”
Also an impressive voice artist, Essiembre’s most recognizable role in animation was as the voice of the Silver Surfer in the animated series of the same name. He has voiced countless television and radio commercials in Canada and has narrated several documentaries such as “Journey To The Edge Of The Universe” and “Earth: The Making Of A Planet.”
He and his family currently reside in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
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TESS HARPER (Elizabeth) – Tess Harper, a talented actress with an inspiring body of work, has over eighty appearances in both film and television to her credit. Harper’s most noteworthy performances include starring alongside Robert Duval in her Golden Globe® nominated role as Rosa Lee in “Tender Mercies,” and in “Crimes of the Heart” earning Harper an Academy Award® nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Harper also starred as the wife of Tommy Lee Jones in “No Country for Old Men,” which earned the entire cast an Outstanding Performance of a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award.
Harper’s vast array of television credits include such favorites as “Christy,” “CSI,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “Private Practice” and “Brothers & Sisters,” just to name a few. Most recently, Harper starred in the first three seasons of the award-winning drama “Breaking Bad,” the TV drama “Crash,” a spin-off of the Oscar®-winning film and has had a recurring role on the new ABC series “Revenge.”
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TY WOOD (Matt) – At the age of 16, Ty Wood has already worked with big name stars such as Robin Williams, Woody Harrelson, Paul Walker and Virginia Madsen. Wood was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba and fell into the world of acting accidently. He started out doing modeling work for a talent agency and began being requested for acting work soon after. In no time, acting became his passion.
Wood’s big break came when he was only six and had the chance to star alongside Shirley Mclean in the movie “Hell on Heels.” Since then he has starred in “The Big White” with Robin Williams and “The Haunting in Connecticut” with Virginia Madsen. He landed a lead role on the pilot “Throwing Stones,” a dramedy that follows the lives of four everyday women trying to manage the chaos of everyday life. Wood plays Dylan Campbell, the son of one of these women played by Barbara Radecki. In 2009, Wood was cast as Tim Cherry, the son of Canadian icon Don Cherry in "Keep Your Head Up Kid: The Don Cherry Story."
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Wood was recognized at The Young Artist Awards in 2010 for his work on "The Haunting in Connecticut" opposite Kyle Gallner, where he was presented with the award for Outstanding Performance in a Feature Film. He was also nominated again in 2011 for his work on "Keep Your Head Up Kid."
Following graduation from high school, Wood plans to relocate to Vancouver to continue his acting career. When he isn’t working, Wood enjoys spending time at the family cottage and is an avid sports fan. When he isn't wake surfing or wake boarding he can be found on the golf course or tennis court. Throughout the winter months Wood enjoys snowboarding and plays left wing for his high school hockey team.
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CRUISE BROWN (Tommy) – Young actor Cruise Brown is making his theatrical debut in "The Christmas Heart." His first taste of television was in kindergarten when being interviewed about the class project regarding butterflies, Brown proceeded to explain the whole process of how a butterfly developed and stole the show.
Brown has a love for music fostered through piano lessons, but he prefers to sit around with dad and buddies jamming on guitars and playing drums. When he is not in school or taking classes, Brown loves to snowboard, ski, skateboard, play sports with his buddies, play video games and watch movies with his parents.
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